Story: I don’t want to go into too much detail about the story of 2nd GIG, since it’s a key factor in why this is such a great show. The basic premise is the same as the first season really. The key group of Public Security Section 9 is re-established after the events of the first season and is immediately thrown into a new series of crimes dubbed the “Individual Eleven.” The story for this season includes a lot of politics and shady organizations. You also get a greater idea of the state of world affairs in this Ghost in the Shell universe, and I think the show is better off for it. This is a mature, tense and entertaining story from beginning to end, and I found myself enjoying this season more than the first. There are only a few real stand-alone episodes throughout the series, and even those while somewhat divergent from the main plot, often reveal a bit of background on our favorite group of anti-terrorists. There is one rather mediocre romantic type sub-plot that I won’t go into great detail about, but I had a hard time buying into it with great enthusiasm. I think it added to the character, but it felt contrived, and seemed somewhat out of place. Not enough for me to hate it though, just to think it was somewhat awkward. Other than that, the rest of the story is simply superb.
Characters: Going into any Ghost in the Shell, you always assume that for the most part, the characters are established and you’re not going to get the kind of character development that you might in other shows, and this is true for 2nd GIG. These people are already bad ass, they’re incredibly good at what they do from the start, so you don’t get that progression that you might in other series where the characters start weaker and then progress to become stronger. Here, they start and finish strong. There’s development, and that’s a welcome change, but on a whole, Section 9 isn’t going to be radically different at the end of the show than it is at the beginning. That’s not a bad thing, because I’ve always felt that the main character, Motoko, is easily one of the strongest female leads in all of anime. She’s incredibly sexy, but beyond that, she’ brilliant and strong. It’s interesting to watch a character that’s as blatantly sexualized as the Major use that to her advantage when she has to. In the end, she’s easily one of the smartest and strongest heroines around, and you have to respect her for that. Her immediate cast is also very likable. Batou is a strong enough character that he could likely carry a show on his own, as was seen in the second Ghost in the Shell movie. Togusa, being the only real human character in Section 9 continues to give the viewers that gateway into the lives of this cyborg team, allowing us to step into his shoes. The rest of Section 9, while relatively minor characters, continue to add a lot to the show, even as side characters they’re each strong in their own regards, and a few get their own episodes to flush them out more, particularly Saito and Paz. Even new characters add a great deal to the show, with the new Prime Minister being a great addition to the cast for this season. I don’t think she had to be a particularly strong character, but the decision to make her one was well done and it added a lot to the show. Overall, the characters in this show are truly top notch, and they move the already great plot along even better. Plus, there may not be a group of more likable characters in all of anime than the Tachikoma’s, you simply have to love them.
Animation: It’s hard not to rave about the quality of the animation for any of the Ghost in the Shell, and 2nd GIG is no different. Clean and crisp character animation is quality throughout the show. There are the occasional times that the quality takes a slight dip, but given the level that it’s at most of the time, the budget had to be incredible and thus the occasional dip is to be expected. Inside of cyber space is incredibly imaginative and colorful, which brings a lot of vivid color to what is otherwise a very dreary palette. If there’s a complaint to be had about the art style, it’s the strange outfits that Motoko sometimes wears. She has this strange bodysuit/shoulder shirt/really low-cut jeans outfit that just comes across as a blatant excuse to try and dress her even sexier than usual, and borders on blatant fan-service. I’m not overly against fan-service, but it just seems out of place for her. But that’s a personal gripe, and not a major one. I’m sure there are arguments for why she’d wear such clothing, so I don’t hold it against the show. In the end, I think everything visually about the show is really top notch, even if occasionally it tends to border on the very dreary, that’s simply the vision of this future.
Music: Once again, I feel that Yoko Kanno really steps up and provides a score that helps accentuate what is already a fantastic show. The opening song “Rise,” makes the intro one of my favorites in a very, very long time. It’s not often that I’ll watch the intro to a show more than once or twice during a season, but I almost never skipped the intro to this season because I just enjoyed it that much. Other wonderful songs include the return of Monochrome from the first one, plus Cyberbird and Torukia. This is a score that’s beautiful in every aspect, but there’s already been heaps of praise given to Kanno-san for her work on Ghost in the Shell, so all I can say is that it lives up to the hype.
Overall: This has probably been the best show I’ve watched in the past 6 months at least. It’s mature and deep, between the political plots and the introspection on the meaning of individuality and once again reflecting on the meaning of having a soul. At the same time, it’s also very exciting, with a number of great action sequences that really keep the tension high. From beginning to end, there isn’t much about Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG that I didn’t love, and I easily give it a 10 and recommend it to anyone who likes sci-fi, cyber punk or anime in general.
